HICKORY, N.C. — Catawba Valley Habitat for Humanity is trying to meet the critical need for affordable housing in Hickory with several new homes for families who can't afford a place on their own.
Each piece added is a step closer to completion and a step closer to a life-long dream for those who will eventually call this place home.
"It's not so much the day they move in, it's the day the walls go up," Mitzi Gellman, the executive director of Habitat Catawba Valley, said.
Gellman said the dream of homeownership means stability for families. Habitat for Humanity homeowners do pay a mortgage that's based on what they can afford.
"There's just not enough affordable housing," she said. "We know that seven houses, 12 houses, is a drop in the bucket, but for the family that's able to buy a house at an affordable price, it's a life-changer for them for generations."
In Hickory, the goal isn't just building homes. It's about revitalizing the Ridgeview neighborhood. Leaders hope the new homes and families moving in will reduce crime.
"Where these houses are now, were three abandoned houses used for illegal activity. Let's just leave it at that," Gellman said. "Not the best environment for the neighbors who surrounded the area. A lot of crime, we know that statistically wherever there is an abandoned home, the chances of people being victims to crime escalate dramatically."
At least a dozen homes will be built in Ridgeview. It's all possible thanks to a $2.5 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.
"It's a life-changer," Gellman said. "I've been here for about 26 years as an executive director and every year you worry about money and trying to meet the need as much as you can."
Gellman said Scott's donation means for once they'll have the cash in the bank and reserve so they can reach out to more families, creating more homeowners who previously only dreamed of having their own place.
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
WCNC Charlotte is part of seven major media companies and other local institutions producing I Can’t Afford to Live Here, a collaborative reporting project focused on solutions to the affordable housing crisis in Charlotte. It is a project of the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative, which is supported by the Local Media Project, an initiative launched by the Solutions Journalism Network with support from the Knight Foundation to strengthen and reinvigorate local media ecosystems. See all of our reporting at charlottejournalism.org.